Monday, June 15, 2015

Scotland the brave

I have written a lot that is very critical of Scotland recently (e.g. here). The frantic hate of their supposed "oppressors" -- the English -- that is coming from some of the Scots nationalists is grotesque -- if only because Scots get more spent on them per capita by the British government than the English do. But gratitude is a rare flower I guess.

I have in fact always been a Scots nationalist in my sympathies. It is obvious to me that the Scots and the English are two very different people and having them yoked to the same cart is bound to produce tensions. So let each go their own way. After having spent some time in both countries -- and marrying a Scottish wife -- some differences at least seem very clear to me. The English on the whole are an emotionally restrained people, for instance, while the Scots are great sentimentalists. An amusing proof of that is that on a traditionally emotional occasion -- parting -- the English have to sing a Scottish song, in an almost incomprehensible language to them: "Auld lang syne".

And the political differences between the Scots and the English are legendary. The Scots in Scotland are frantic socialists. When Margaret Thatcher first gained the Prime Ministership with a huge swing towards her in England, Scotland actually swung away from the Tories. So that alone is surely an argument for independence. Why should either nation have the political preferences of the other imposed upon it?

So the best I can do to understand the hatreds flowing from some of the Scots Nats is that it is a welling up of many lifetimes of frustration at being locked into an unsuitable marriage. It remains deplorable, however. Hate is intrinsically destructive.

But there is no doubt that the Scots have been traditionally warlike. I gather that about a third of the British army to this day is Scottish. And a tradition of war should select for manly men -- strong, confident and robust men. And Scotland does seem to produce a goodly number of such men. Watch the video below to see what I mean. Bill McCue is the sort of men that Scots think of as Scottish and there is some truth in that. I hope the Scots speech is not too hard to understand.

How can a country be bad that produces big, confident and yet sentimental men like that? What woman would not like to have a man in her life like that (pace the feminists)? Scotland is a wonderful country with massive traditions of its own and it should be free to pursue its own destiny in its own way

I have written quite a bit about Scotland in the academic journals. See here

3 comments:

In one sense, I don't care about the squabble. Actually, though, I think it's a good thing in general. As to having more spent per capita? Being a bought slave is no better than just being an unbought one. Much as with my government... I don't care how much they spend on me, I want them out of my hair, and would actually prefer they spend less, and do less, and really? I would rather they pretty much build roads, raise a military, support encourage and protect business pursuits, protect my constitutional and bill of rights protections (usually from them and .corp), tax as is required for that, but otherwise go the fuck away.

While Scots seem extremely liberal, I have some hope that is just a way of becoming a hardship on England. That, if they ever part ways, this will change. I doubt it, they have been on the dole too long. But, an increased socialism will fail quicker, so there is that too. All things, in time, clarify to truth. And the truth is humbling.

If you have been to Britain, and then Scotland, you'd know who you'd want fighting. Just read the true, not Hollywood, version of Laurence of Arabia, and... yeah. The only reason there are that many Brits in their .mil is because there aren't enough Scots! Well, and pure naked fear of a general run. *grins*

Germans, in one or both WW's, called Scots the women from hell... the pipes, the "skirts", and the fighting spirit.